I felt more safer with Marco than Aht. Neither were damage sponges, but I can't stand characters who can barely take 2 hits.

Same here. I like the traps but I'll take a more extended/tedious battle over having to constantly worry about her health level.

You can't move most bosses anyways. I do have this weird thing about certain parts of games that I *MUST* use someone I usually don't to succeed. For the super secret Radiant Historia boss, I used Aht and Eruca (when they NEVER enter my party other than mandatory parts). For the final level in Chocobo Racing, I could only win with the Fat Chocobo (same with Bowser in MK64, he was my boy). To beat secret boss Nebilim in Tales of the Abyss, I need Anise (anus) in my party. For Kirby games, I will suffer on a boss until I use the Tornado ability (that might be a "game breaker" though...).

The Radiant Historia playthrough goes smoothly now. I do find the combat system a bit tedious in certain battles, but I suppose that applies to most turn-based RPGs.

I find turn based *extermely* tedious; I respect Radiant and stuff like the Persona series that try to add a spin to it.

One thing I greatly appreciate is when a turn-based RPG includes an auto-battle option so you can plough through the average goons more easily. I'm very glad that Radiant Historia adds that option (in addition to the more obviously nice grid system).

I liked Suikoden's way of doing it. Over levelled for this enemy and not gonna get much reward from it? The "let go" option is a 100% success flee.

Witcher 2 - Damn, I'm moving at a snails pace with this. Granted, I've only been able to play it twice a week or so, but it feels like I'm not getting anything accomplished. I need to get away from Flotsam, dammit! I'm supposed to fight the Kayran sea monster thingy next. Good times.I also feel like I'm missing SO many aspects of the game. It plays like a game that should be played through multiple times, because there's so much to do and see.

I liked using Aht, mostly because of her absurdly high Speed, good healing, and fun traps. Speed hat a lot to do with it, as Marco's lack of Speed was crippling. Marco and Rosch were the two character I used the least. I probably used Aht the most in the game other than Stocke.

Okami had a really neat final boss encounter and endgame, but oh man my final results were embarrassing. Zero deaths, lots of yen and enemies killed (all cherry tree rankings). Praise was a green tree ranking, but Demon Fangs was only a sapling :(. Might replay for trophies one day down the line; Okami was a great time.

Beat P4G over the holiday break and started playing some Elminage Original. Seems like a solid classic-style dungeon crawler, but holy god this translation is awful. Additionally, the text is full of bugs - my character that uses tarot cards, the descriptions start with the first line of the regular description, but continue on not to the second line, but the first line of the next card.

Still, it's UFO and $15, so it's not like I expected anything different.

Also been playing a little bit of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition. Embargo's up since the game is out today. Surprise: It's Baldur's Gate! The interface is still wacky, but it's a great BioWare game that doesn't run in low-as-hell resolutions anymore.

Okami had a really neat final boss encounter and endgame, but oh man my final results were embarrassing. Zero deaths, lots of yen and enemies killed (all cherry tree rankings). Praise was a green tree ranking, but Demon Fangs was only a sapling :(. Might replay for trophies one day down the line; Okami was a great time.

There's a piss-attack you can buy (labeled as a taunt) that is totally worth the 100k you have to spend on it. Simply press O near an enemy, Amaterasu takes a godly piss, and a demon fang pops.

I liked using Aht, mostly because of her absurdly high Speed, good healing, and fun traps. Speed hat a lot to do with it, as Marco's lack of Speed was crippling. Marco and Rosch were the two character I used the least. I probably used Aht the most in the game other than Stocke.

Okami had a really neat final boss encounter and endgame, but oh man my final results were embarrassing. Zero deaths, lots of yen and enemies killed (all cherry tree rankings). Praise was a green tree ranking, but Demon Fangs was only a sapling :(. Might replay for trophies one day down the line; Okami was a great time.

Also Marco's healing spells suck by late game onwards, as he becomes a buff bot instead. Also his equipment choices limit him to Stocke's leftovers (although Aht also wants that poncho Stocke is wearing, even if she can't have it since its his endgame armor and exclusive to him).

Meanwhile Roche is interesting in that early on he's a decent pusher/puller for the short period you have him, later on when you've caught him up from his long outing he becomes the physical counterpart to all the magical AoE attacks that Aht and Eruca will be getting and can zone pretty much anyone from anywhere, and then Gafka finally picks up his most ridiculous move and becomes JRPG Scorpion ("GET OVER HERE!!!") while Roche is pretty much stuck with the only physical attack buff skills in the game saving him from almost total redundancy.

Rosch was pretty handy for a few boss fights I remember though. Shame he's basically absent in one plotline for the majority of it. Seems Eruca is the weakest link nonetheless.... Goddamn that game was fantastic though, I'm feeling nostalgic to pick it up again. The game technically needs a part II... So does Golden Sun [DS]. HM. Here's hoping we see a renaissance on the 3DS like the DS had.

Still meandering my way through backlogs.... how I'm being disciplined enough to still not indulge X-Com or Mugen Souls is beyond me..... but I'm running with the fortitude I'm exercising lately and trying to polish off Breath of Fire 3 with Alice Return to Madness as an aside..... Absolutely loving Alice BTW... I guess I can enjoy something that is not a JRPG or an SRPG.....

In regard to Breath of Fire 3..... All I have to say is the Desert was the most "un-fun" thing I think I've ever had to do in an RPG..... It wouldn't have been too bad actually, however upon exiting and speaking with some folks at the oasis I learn there is (of course) some treasure to be had for venturing back in.... that is when the true torture began.... you can't even call it a mini-game or puzzle.... just quite simply monotony at its most excruciating..... I have one more treasure to go, but I think another trek through that desert would cause my "fortitude" to crumble....

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In this world is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcedental entity or law? is it like the hand of god hovering above? Perhaps Man has no control even over his own will…